The five-year-old gelding ($4.40) bounced back from two unplaced runs to defeat Chiquada ($5) by two lengths over 1700 metres. Rebel Rising ($7.50) was third.

Victory came more than a decade after his mother Devon Dancer delivered Williams his first success at the carnival, in a 1300-metre handicap in 2003.

That breakthrough win sparked a passion which remains strong today. Williams has trained a winner at the carnival in all but two years since.

“His mother was my first winner at the carnival, Devon Dancer. He’s bred by a very good mate Michael Rae here in Warrnambool,” Williams said.

“Him and Greg Levvey have had horses with me since day one. They gave me my first horses to train. I’m rapt for them they could win another race at the carnival.”

Williams was on the verge of scratching Turnitaround on the weekend but opted to wait until yesterday, hoping the track would hold up.

Rain arrived overnight, but not enough to dent connections’ enthusiasm. The gelding’s previous eight races since December had yielded a win and five places.

“I’ve tossed and turned the last 10 days whether I was going to run him today, he’s had such a good prep,” Williams said. “I contemplated putting him in the paddock. Just the local carnival leant us to running him again today.” 

Jockey Dean Yendall settled Turnitaround second, outside Devonshire Duke, although Chiquada soon seized the lead.

Yendall then made his winning move with 600 metres to go pulling wide around the pacesetters.

Williams praised the Horsham hoop for his ability to change tactics mid-race.

“Ideally we wanted to be one-one, but we came out of the gates and nothing wanted to go forward,” he said.

“They were crawling up the back straight. From then on, Dean rode him perfect.”